Over 80 Malawian diplomats have been fired by the cash strapped government, saving up to K3.2 billion in tax payers money as the government struggle to deliver public services.

Chaponda: Reforms in diplomatic missions

Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation George Chaponda told a news conference on Thursday that either the diplomats are in Malawi or are on their way to the home country.

“We have drastically reduced the number of our diplomats in our foreign missions and now we are able to save up to K3.2 billion in rentals and school fees payments,” Chaponda said.

This was after the powerful International Monetary Fund cleared Malawi to resume Malawi’s $150 million extended facility programme which was suspended last year after a scandal involving abuse of state money, a move that would instil confidence in Africa’s poorest country to woo donors and investors back on government fold.

Chaponda said the government had to take the decision after it observed that most of the embassies were overstaffed.

He said in some embassies, the staff has been drastically reduced from 20 to six and in small foreign mission from five to two but was quick to say the quality of service will remain the same.

Chaponda said this after telling reporters that out of the 234 diplomats earmarked for the chop, 152 have already been flown home.

He said the government is already serving K3.1 billion in personal emoluments if the envoys and K3.2 billion in house rentals and children education scheme.

“Some of our embassies were overstaffed. We are not doing this because Malawi is bankrupt but we are working on our reforms because we believe a few staff can do the job,” said Chaponda, the ruling Democratic Progressive Party vice president parrying away fears the government was purging opposition elements in Malawi foreign mission.

Chaponda said government has also rolled out Performance Management system to all diplomats and local staff in foreign missions and the Ministry Headquarters.

He said under this appraisal system, each and every diplomat as well as local staff members in foreign missions and embassies have been appraised and this has included all staff at the Ministry Headquarters.

“For those that have not performed well in these appraisals have been warned,” said Chaponda.

Chaponda has also revealed that government has requested each foreign mission and embassy to develop strategic plan outlining the strategic outcome.

“We will be able to clearly judge them whether they are performing or not,” said Chaponda. –Additional reporting by Alfred Chauwa, Nyasa Times

Since whern did you reliase that embassies are overststaffed? Yet you are still sending people to embassies. A few weeks ago you sent your relatives. You recalling MCP and PP sympathisers.Who does not know DPP? Full of vegence and lies!!!!!!!!!

Publish the names of those diplomats. The country will see for itself that they are All believed to be either PP or MCP sympathisers. These stupid DPP people really think they are the smartest, don’t they? Publish the names, we challenge you.

I cannot trust this old man. A few days ago he asked for increment of the budget for foreign affairs ministry of over 2billion kwacha and today he is bluffing that he is making a saving due to reforms? Why did he ask for budget increment if he knew he could do with his initial budget by implementing reforms? This is one of people messing our nation and karma will pay him back.

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Let it be known that it is too early for anybody to celebrate the news that Malawi will make such savings because we do not have enough information.
. . . Just come to think of it; how much will you hate yourself to learn (after a year or two) that these perceived savings have been thieved upon? having celebrated already?
. . . The simple truth is – what you do with those savings, is much more important than just the mere fact that you are making them. Sadly this; Chaponda has not said, and some of us are worried.
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. . . If the savings will be used for increasing Malawi’s hydro-electric power generation capacity or implementing the greenbelt initiative or simply for infrastructure development; we shall smile.
. . . However, since experience is the best teacher, we know that given a choice between pocketing those savings or implementing such developmental concept as the aforementioned; you would go for the former without a second thought, not even first.
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. . . Therefore, some of us will gladly exercise the right to not celebrate the mere fact that you guys are to save billions when we are more certain than not; that those savings will not benefit the country, but very few individuals who are as selfish, greedy and unpatriotic as they look.
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some consulate tasks can be perfomed online and in some country the government can employ malawian nationals already resisdent there to represent malawi, whichin return would be very cheap because the government will only need to send the head of mission, defense attache who would also serve as immigration rep. secretary/admin /accountant can be perfomed by by a bach of bus admin holder.
Tourism, business,information roled can be held by one person.
protocal can be help b y deputy head of mission, presenting malawi as a whole can be led by the head of mission
malawi has ever had diplomatic missions in botswana, mozambique, tanzania, kenya, egypt, brazil, taiwan,libya,,,,we never needed such mission we should runaway from traditional commonwealth style political diplomacy to productive diplomatic represantition

target countries which might benefit us through trade partnership and switch diplomatic bases according to global market/economy trends

would suggest south african ( trade and migration reps),ethiopia (AU), Ivory Coast (West African trade and Afri Dev Bank mission), Paris ( its just a few yards from brussels), German, UK, USA , can cover canada, india, UAE, china and japan, how ever keep an eye on malaysia ,brazil and other booming economies

the trade mission and tourism mission should be strongly based on how we have developed those sectors back at home

Hahahahahaha, who are trying to cheat? We scheme is rightly aimed at purging opposition elements from diplomatic missions. Let the foreign minister publish the reformed establishment today so that we compare with the same in three years time. That’s why we wanted Access to Information Law enacted, otherwise don’t bluff shit.